Imagine that you have bought a new apartment and want to move into it with minimal effort. You will have to pack and then unpack your belongings, hire movers and appropriate vehicles. In the digital world, everything is much simpler: a few useful tools and services are enough to move to a new computer or laptop. If you have accumulated a large archive of photos and videos, personal documents, and installed applications, with the help of the below methods, you will be able to transfer all the crucial data to a new device with ease. If you notice anything unusual with your computer, you may have to bring your device to a computer repair services shop.
How to Prepare for the Migration?
Transferring files and folders between computers is a fairly simple task if you have an Internet connection. In this case, you can be sure that your data is protected in case of a hard drive failure. The only drawback here is that you cannot transfer your applications and settings to a new computer. You will also have to deal with certain specific tasks:
- to install the necessary apps;
- to transfer Outlook contacts to a new computer;
- to set up user’s configurations, etc.
In addition to programs, it will be convenient for many users to “take” with them an archive of email messages (if they use a non-web version), passwords, and bookmarks from one or several browsers. However, you should get ready for the migration first:
- Delete files and folders from your old computer that you don’t need for a long time. You probably wanted to do this before, but there was no reason;
- Put files in the order in folders. This way, you will be less likely to lose something important;
- Decide on information that is important to keep during the move.
Now you are ready for the migration.
How to Transfer Files with Ease?
1) Cloud storage
One of the easiest ways to back up and transfer data from one computer or laptop to another is to use the cloud storage service. If you have a Microsoft account, you automatically get 5 GB of disk space for free. The same applies to a Google account, which gives you 15 GB of free space. This is unlikely to be enough for backups, especially if you’ve been using your computer for several years. But such services usually give you the option to purchase more space at affordable prices.
2) External hard drive
Using an external hard drive to transfer data from your old to a new computer also provides you with a backup of your files, insuring you in case something goes wrong. This process takes longer, but you don’t have to spend extra money if you already have a drive.
3) Data transfer cable
If you don’t want to subscribe to cloud storage services or spend money on an external hard drive, there is a relatively cheap option that allows you to transfer data between computers. Once connected, you can use the included software to transfer files, settings, user accounts, and folders from one computer to another.
Now, you are completely ready for the fast data migration.